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Published on: November 18, 2022
Steam explosion modified Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis agar: Dual response characteristics of rheology and dynamic in
Changrong Wang1, Yi Chen2, Mengfan Lin1
1Engineering Research Centre of Fujian-Taiwan Special Marine Food Processing and Nutrition, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou, Fujian, PR China; College of Food Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, PR China.
Abstract:
Natural agar's high viscosity and low solubility limit its high-value applications, while conventional modification methods struggle to precisely regulate its structure-function relationship. Therefore, this study aimed to employ an eco-friendly steam explosion (0.18 MPa, 21 s) for modifying Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis agar and to elucidate the underlying mechanism. Results demonstrated that steam explosion disrupted molecular chains and restructured the three-dimensional network, optimizing rheological properties: the hysteresis loop area of 1.0 % (w/v) modified agar decreased from 627.91 ± 8.21 to 582.62 ± 8.64, and the modulus increased by 25 %. During in vitro digestion, the improved fluidity accelerated gastric emptying, while the increased amorphous region enhanced enzymatic degradation. This led to a reduced molecular weight (from 170.26 ± 3.66 kDa to 141.57 ± 3.01 kDa) and higher monosaccharide release. This study elucidates the steam explosion-mediated "structure-rheology-digestion" mechanism, overcoming the limitations of previous unidimensional analyses and providing new insights for designing functional agar-based materials.
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